JAPAN | The Odoriko train from Tokyo to Ito on Izu Peninsula

Autumn 2025. We – Sam and Danny, Michel and Wille, and Timothy – are travelling to Japan for a quite classic tour of the Land of the Rising Sun. We are flying separately as we used miles. On the planning: Tokyo, Kanazawa, Shirakawa, Osaka, and Expo 2025, Hiroshima, Himeji, Miyajima, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Hakone, and back to Tokyo. Three weeks plus some extra days.

Prior to the group trip, I – Timothy – am solo in Tokyo. Using artificial intelligence, I concocted a busy four days featuring Ito on the Izu Peninsula and Sawara, also known as Little Edo. I also end this Journey Across Japan with a solo spell in Minato, near Taito and Tamachi Station.

In season 12 of Jet Lag: The Game, ‘Hide + Seak: Japan‘, Ben Doyle goes to Ito on Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture and visits the Izu Teddy Bear Museum. As I wanted to see more rural Japan, and I do love stuffed toys, I decided to go there on a day trip.

To get there, I booked tickets on the Odoriko and Saphir Odoriko trains. I booked them via Klook, more than a month in advance. Interestingly, Klook said it would only confirm my booking once it itself had it sorted via the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Tickets for the Odoriko only open a month in advance. Or was it two months?

Odoriko, the dancing girl

The Odoriko (踊り子, ‘dancing girl’) is one of Japan’s most scenic and historic limited express train services, linking Tokyo with the Izu Peninsula, a region known for its dramatic coastline, hot springs, and ocean views. Operated jointly by JR East, JR Central, the Izukyu Corporation, and the Izuhakone Railway, the Odoriko runs from Tokyo to either Izukyū-Shimoda on the eastern coast of the Izu Peninsula or Shuzenji in the central highlands of Shizuoka Prefecture.

Its name, meaning ‘dancing girl’, is inspired by Yasunari Kawabata’s short story ‘The Izu Dancer‘, which romanticised journeys through this very landscape.

The service was introduced in October 1981 with the debut of the 185 series electric multiple units, replacing the older Amagi and Izu limited express trains that had long connected Tokyo with the peninsula.

In 1990, the Super View Odoriko brought a new level of comfort and panoramic windows, followed in 2012 by the Marine Express Odoriko, which operated until both services were withdrawn in March 2020.

The same month marked the launch of the Saphir Odoriko, an all–Green Car (the name of first class in Japan) version with luxury seating, a café car, and a design tailored for leisure travel along Japan’s Pacific coast.

Regular Odoriko services operate three round trips daily between Tokyo and Izukyū-Shimoda, travelling via the Tōkaidō Main Line, Itō Line, and Izu Kyūkō Line. Two of these trains are coupled with services for Shuzenji, using the Izuhakone Railway’s Sunzu Line, before being divided at Atami.

In addition to regular departures from Tokyo, seasonal Odoriko services run from Shinjuku or Ikebukuro, using the Shōnan–Shinjuku Line to join the main route at Yokohama. Since the opening of the Ueno–Tokyo Line in 2015, some services have also originated as far afield as Abiko on the Jōban Line and Ōmiya on the Utsunomiya Line, giving northern Tokyo commuters direct access to the Izu coast.

Typical stopping patterns include major Tokyo-area stations such as Tokyo, Shinagawa, Kawasaki, Yokohama, and Ōfuna, before the line hugs the sea past Odawara, Yugawara, Atami, and Ito, continuing through resort towns like Izu-Kōgen, Izu-Inatori, and Kawazu before reaching Izukyū-Shimoda. Through services to Shuzenji diverge at Atami and run inland via Mishima and Izu-Nagaoka to the terminus in the hills of central Izu.

For much of its history, the Odoriko was operated by the distinctive green and white 185 series trains, notable for being the longest limited express sets in Japan, excluding the shinkansen. Today, however, the service is powered by modern E257 series electric multiple units, refurbished specifically for use on the Tōkaidō corridor.

E257

The E257 series first entered service in 2001, built by Hitachi, Kinki Sharyo, and Tokyu Car Corporation for JR East. It was originally designed for the Azusa and Kaiji limited express routes on the Chūō Main Line, replacing the ageing 183 and 189 series trains.

The fleet, based at Matsumoto, was made up of 9-car and 2-car sets and won the Blue Ribbon Award from the Japan Railfan Club in 2002 for its innovative design and passenger comfort.

In 2004, a five-car version known as the E257-500 series was introduced for the Sazanami, Wakashio, and Shiosai services from Tokyo to destinations in Chiba Prefecture, along the Uchibō, Sotobō, and Sōbu Main Lines. These trains also briefly operated commuter ‘Liner’ services to Zushi and Odawara before being replaced or redeployed as service patterns changed.

As new rolling stock was introduced on other lines, JR East began refurbishing the E257 fleet for continued use. The E257-2000 and E257-2500 series, derived from earlier variants, were redesigned for the Odoriko and Shōnan limited express services.

Their appearance, dubbed the ‘Peninsula Blue‘ design, was inspired by the colours of the Izu coast, with interiors featuring upgraded seating, enhanced luggage space, LED lighting, and new flooring. The first converted set entered service in March 2020, replacing the last of the 185 series, and since 2021 all standard Odoriko trains have used these refurbished sets.

Additional refurbishments produced the E257-5000 and E257-5500 series, which feature a restyled front design and updated interiors for charter, seasonal, and regional services. Since 2023, the 5500 series has replaced the older 651 series on the Akagi and Kusatsu/Shima limited express trains on the Takasaki Line.

Both the Odoriko and its rolling stock symbolise the evolution of Japan’s intercity rail travel—preserving the idea of leisurely scenic journeys while steadily modernising to meet contemporary standards of comfort and reliability. Travelling by Odoriko remains one of the most relaxing ways to leave behind Tokyo’s bustle and follow the coastline southward, where the mountains meet the sea and the rhythm of the rails echoes the spirit of the ‘dancing girl’ that gave the train its name.

Riding the Odoriko

Apart from the very (sub)urban trains in Tokyo, which are both subway (metro) and what we in Belgium and Europe see as trains, the Odoriko was the first ‘proper’ intercity train I did in Japan in this trip. A train where you better reserve a seat.

It thought me there are signs where my car will stop and where the Green Car will be. I sat in the Green Car, so first class, and that seat was nice and alright, but had nothing revolutionary.

Noteworthy are the overhead racks, capable of stowing medium-sized luggage. Good to know because large luggage (where the sum of length, height and depth totals 160 cm) are not allowed on Japanese trains unless you book the dedicated seats.

The ride was smooth and comfortable.